Former Hog D.J. Williams joins KARK morning show

Former Arkansas tight end D.J. Williams accepts an award during a time out at an NCAA college football game against Auburn in Fayetteville, Ark., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013. (AP Photo/Beth Hall)
Former Arkansas tight end D.J. Williams accepts an award during a time out at an NCAA college football game against Auburn in Fayetteville, Ark., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013. (AP Photo/Beth Hall)

Former Razorback and NFL player D.J. Williams has joined KARK's morning show.

Williams was announced as a new addition to KARK Today, which typically airs Monday through Friday, during a special broadcast Sunday kicking off a block of Super Bowl pre-game programming.

Williams won the Mackey Award as the country's best tight end in 2010 and was later drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the NFL draft. He later signed with the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Williams, who had made on-air appearances for the NBC affiliate in recent weeks, joked Sunday that he'd been watching Anchorman to prepare for his new role. He said on Twitter that he was "really excited about this new journey."

It wasn't clear how long Williams will be on the show. In a news release posted on its website, the station noted Williams "hopes to be back in an NFL camp this spring."

The addition is one of two changes to the KARK morning team, which shifted after meteorologist Greg Dee left for a position in Cleveland. The station also announced Sunday that forecaster Pat Walker, a former weekend meteorologist who joined KARK in March 2013, would move to weekday mornings.

News director Austin Kellerman said in the news release that Walker and Williams would help create a "‘must watch’ morning show," noting that Williams was added after anchor Aaron Nolan "picked up on the chemistry D.J. had with our team during a recent visit."

“It just made too much sense not to try," Kellerman said. "D.J. is a special person with a personality sure to reach beyond television sets.”

In addition to being honored as the nation's top tight end, Williams in 2010 won the Disney Spirit Award as college football's most inspirational figure. He has been a vocal advocate for domestic violence victims, sharing his family's story of leaving his abusive, drug-addicted father when Williams was a child.

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